A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

After my decease. Some have read, in stead of Dabo operam, ut post obit•m meum; Et post obitum meum: I will endeavour even after my decease, that &c. So they give to Saint Peter, and other Saints, a provident care over us still. If they would extend it no further, then that the Saints in heaven pray for us on earth, we would easily grant. Or that their Sermons once preached still do us good, we assent. What then? because we reverence their words, must we therefore worship their bodies, or relics? Yet such is the fond collection of Fevardentius on this place. He urgeth it from, Rom. 10.15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel! If their feet be beautiful, how beautiful then are their hands and join•s, and tongues and lips! If the shadow of Peter, and the hand-kerchief of Paul, could cure the sick: why may not the body of that shadow, and the hand of that hand-kerchief, effect as much? why should not these be worshipped? We honour their writings, how much more their relics! This ridiculous stuff needs no other confutation, but derision. There was read in the Nicene Council; by the Monk ••• phanus, out of the book of Sophronius, this Legend. A Monk was continually troubled with a devil: at last being very of his guest, he did pray the devil in fair and friendly terms, to let him alone. (And was not this religiously done, to pray […] the devil, Satan answered, that if he would promise and swear to satisfy hi• […] ⟨p. 283⟩one thing, he would forsake him. The Monk swore a deep oath; then quoth the devil: Thou shalt never hereafter pray any more to such an Image of our Lady, holding her child in her arms. But the Monk was too crafty for the devil: for the next day he went and confessed himself to the Abbot, and he dispensed with his oath, upon condition that he should continue praying to that Image. And is not this an excellent proof of praying to Saints, which is borrowed of the devil? But what is this to Relics? yes, they that speak so much for the Image of Saint Peters head, what will they say for the head it self? Fevardentius adds; The dusts, the rags, the shoo, the nail of a Saint is venerable. This is the drunken doctrine of Rome, that adores the relics, but regards not the lives of Saints. Neither Peter nor Paul shall teach them by their writings, they will be taught by their relics.